Ice vs. Hot Oil

[Dryson]

I found this video on You Tube that shows a frying pan full of hot oil erupting into flames after a round of frozen ice is dropped into the frying pan.

If you watch as the round of ice is dropped into the frying pan, some of the hot oil splashes up and over the side the frying pan and obviously comes in contact with the flame under the frying pan.

Did the interaction between the stove flame and hot oil cause the oil in the pan to ignite, or did the interaction between the round of frozen ice and the hot oil cause the flames?

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[Finn]

It's from the stove flame. You can see the oils spilling over the rim from the dropping of the ice block , and it's clear the flame started from under the pot...


obviously

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

And here was I thinking it was down to a less prosaic effect such as quantum locking of the magnetic fields.

 

[StarCruiser]

Wait...what? Are you saying that the simplest answer is the correct answer?!? No way! That can't be right! I MUST be something weird and complex...

Sorry Dryson but, the fire was definitely caused by the oil spilling over the side. The primary issue here is that the oil and water don't mix well in the first place. Hot oil and frozen water really tend to get very active and voilá, it starts bubbling and splashing like crazy. Simplest answer is right, again.

 

['Q']

Ah a was it ice, or was it frozen hydrocarbons? Was that oil or apple juice? Did they do an FTIR to prove that? Did you account for the forces of gravity? What about the bond strength of carbon to hydrogen, I think you'll find your real culprit right there!

/s

 

[BillJ]

Where does the beating of the human heart fit into all of this?!